Monday 17 May, 2021

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

In a world where it is so easy to access information, it is also easy to be overly influenced by the things we read and hear. As believers, we need to make sure we are clear on what we believe so we can recognise lies. It can be tempting to blur the borders of our faith with postmodern values or new age philosophy. I am not speaking of adopting extreme fundamentals but rather keeping a separation between my Christian beliefs and things that folk of other faiths would hold to be true. I feel I need to approach this with compassion and understanding, not judgement. Just as bankers know a counterfeit note by its difference to the real thing, we need to know our faith separate to the world. The bible is my benchmark for what is true. I want to be sure of my faith in Jesus so I can recognise compromising thoughts and ideas. What is your benchmark for the truth and faith?

Heavenly Father, please search my heart and reveal any areas of compromise. Father forgive me for the times when I have not stayed faithful to you. Help me Lord to live a life of love and faith that reflects the great cost you paid for my salvation. In Jesus name Amen.

Written by Christine Knight